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A six-day strike by resident doctors in England is set to begin on Tuesday, marking the 15th industrial action in a protracted three-year conflict between the doctors and the government over pay and career progression. Despite the ongoing walkout, NHS officials have urged patients not to delay seeking medical care. They reassured the public that senior doctors, along with resident doctors not participating in the strike, will continue to work, and that appointments should be attended unless patients are specifically informed of cancellations.
The strike will last from 7:00 BST on Tuesday through to just before 7:00 on Monday, 13 April. NHS managers have highlighted the timing as particularly challenging, arriving just after a long bank holiday weekend. The dispute began after recent negotiations broke down at the end of March, halting efforts to resolve the pay and training issues raised by resident doctors, who previously were known as junior doctors.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the strikes as “disappointing” but emphasized the government’s efforts to protect both patients and staff by minimizing disruptions. He pointed out that during the previous round of strikes in December, the NHS was still able to deliver almost 95% of planned activities. Meanwhile, the British Medical Association (BMA), which represents around two-thirds of resident doctors, warned that despite NHS England’s claims, the strikes would inevitably cause disruption for patients.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, acknowledged that many senior doctors would step in to cover striking colleagues, but noted that these professionals were themselves “exhausted and as demoralized as we are.” NHS England’s national clinical director for critical and perioperative care, Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, reassured listeners on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the NHS would remain open and operational. She encouraged patients with planned appointments to attend unless informed of a postponement, and advised that those needing emergency care should proceed as usual by contacting emergency services or visiting appropriate local healthcare providers.
The dispute deepened after the government withdrew its proposal to create 1,000 additional training places for doctors, citing financial and operational constraints. The Department of Health and Social Care stated that this decision would not reduce the overall number of NHS doctors, as the new posts would have replaced existing short-term roles. Alongside this, the government had offered compensation for some expenses, such as exam fees, and proposed faster pay progression through the five salary bands for resident doctors, ranging from just under £39,000 to nearly £74,000. However, the BMA ended talks because it felt the pay progression offer was diluted toward the end of negotiations.
The government recently accepted recommendations from the independent pay review body for a 3.5% salary increase effective from this month, applying to all doctors, including residents. While this rise means resident doctors’ pay has increased by a third over the past four years, the BMA argues that once inflation is considered, current pay remains about 20% lower in real terms than it was in 2008. The union bases its inflation calculations on the Retail Price Index (RPI), a measure they justify using because it aligns with the government’s calculation for student loan interest
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